Riddle-adjusting mechanism for threshing-machines.



No. 788,616. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. L. WERTS. RIDDLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR THRE'SHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27 1904.

NiTn STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT FFICE.

LEROY WVERTS, OF MILFORD, MiSSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,616, dated May 2, 1905,

Application filed September 27, 1904. Serial No. 226,100.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY wears, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of Barton and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Riddle-Adjusting Mechanism for ThreshingJ/Iachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to riddle-adjusting mechanism for threshing-machines; and my object is to produce means for changing the riddle from a horizontal to an inclined position easily and quickly.

A further object is to produce mechanism for this purpose which operates eliiciently and reliably and is of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and in orderthat it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a shoe, partly broken away, equipped with riddle-adjusting mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the front end of the same with the shoe and riddle broken away longitudinally and the latter also broken away at one corner. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the dotted line III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the rear end of the shoe, and also shows an adjustable hinge-rod for the riddle, and a part of the framework of the latter hinged to said rod.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a part of a threshing-machine, and 2 the trough for the tailings-auger. (Not shown.)

3 designates a shoe adapted to be longitudinally reciprocated in the usual manner and having its rear end overhanging trough E2 and its bottom sloping downwardly and forwardly to discharge the grain which passes through the riddle into the grain-auger trough. (Not shown.)

in Fig. 1 the shoe is provided about centrally of its length with a vertical slot ,ft in each side. in Fig. ithe shoe is provided with equivalent slots 5.

6 designates the usual or any preferred type of riddle, the same being preferably mounted at its side margins upon longitudinal bars 7, which bars in Fig. 1 are provided with a crossrod 8, engaging slots 4, one only of which appears, to prevent longitudinal movement of the riddle independent of the shoe, or vice versa, without interfering with the vertical or pivotal adjustment of the riddle.

In Fig. 4: a rod 9 extends through slots 5 and is engaged at one end by a jam-nut or clamping-nut 10, said nut serving to clamp the rod at the desired point of adjustment in said slots, and in said Fig. 4 each bar 7 of the riddle has a depending bracket 11, pivotally engaging the rod. Referring now to the means For vertically adjusting the riddle, it will be noticed that in Fig. 1 said means is duplicated, so that both ends of the riddle may be raised or lowered or one lowered and the other raised. By reference to Fig. 4, assuming that the riddle-adjustment mechanism is located only at the end of the riddle opposite that engaging rod 9, it will be seen that said opposite end only can be quickly and easily raised, though it is obvious of course that the end carried by rod 9 can also be raised within the length of slots 5, this adj usti'nent, however, not being suiiicient to give the riddle as great a pitch or inclination as is possible with the construction of Fig. l.

Returning again to the detail construction, 12 designates bars secured to one side of the shoe near its front end only with respect to Fig. 1, but near both ends with respect to Fig. 1, and secured rigidly upon each of said bars is a U-shaped frame 13 as a journal for the longitudinal screw 14, the screw having collars 15 engaging the bearing-frame to prevent longitudinal movement of the screw. Engaging each screw is a collar 16, and pivotally connecting said collar with a lever 17 fulcrumed, as at 18, on bar 12, 1s a link 19, the

upper end of said lever having a pin-and-slot connection, as at 20, with a bracket 21, depending rigidly from a bar 7 of the riddle. Upon one end of each screw is a bevel-gear 22, meshing continuously with a bevel-gear 23 of a shaft 24, extending transversely of and journaled in the shoe, it being understood that a mechanism of the character described from numerals 12 to'22, inclusive, is located below each corner of the riddle and that the gearwheels 22 at one end mesh with the gearwheels 23 on the contiguous shaft 24. The shafts 2 1 are provided with rigid heads or collars 25 at one end and at the other with crankhandles 26 and contiguous to said crank-handles are threaded, as at 27, to receive the jamnuts 28, so that when said jam-nuts are screwed home they clamp the shafts rigidly in place, so that they cannot turn under the reciprocatory movement of the shoe and the vibration of the threshing-machine.

Under certain conditions it will be found desirable to operate the machine with the riddle substantially horizontal, as shown, and at such times it is clamped in such position by the jam-nuts locking the shafts rigidly to the shoe. Should the kind or condition of the grain render it advisable to compel the tailings to travel slightly uphill, the jam-nut at one end of the machinesay the front endis loosened, so that the corresponding shaft can be so manipulated that the screws 14 in gear therewith shall turn properly to move their collars 15 forward, and thereby lower the front end of the riddle the required distance, after which the jam-nut is again screwed home, and the riddle is ready for operation. In this adjustment it will be seen that the pivot-rod 8 moves downward in slots a without endwise movement of the riddle, the latter being unnecessary because of the pin-and-slot connection between bracket 21 and levers 17. If it is desired to adjust the riddle to an extreme pitch or inclination,-both jam-nuts are loosened and the shafts turned to raise one end and lower the other end of the riddle, the jamnuts being then screwed home again to secure the riddle in its new position.

Nith the construction shown in Fig. 1 only the front end of the riddle can be raised or lowered quickly and easily. The other end can be raised and lowered in a limited degree, though of course the rod 9 need not be vertically adjustable, if desired. The construction shown in Fig. 4 will probably give all of the adjustment of riddle 6 that will ordinarily be required in practice and obviously is the cheaper construction, because only one set of adjusting mechanisms is employed.

In practice it will be seen that the grain and tailings follow the usual coursethat is, the grain passes through the riddle onto the bottom of the shoe and thence to the grain-auger,

while the tailings fall off the rear end of the riddle and onto the tailings-auger.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced mechanism embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention and which obviously may be modified in various particulars without departing from the principle and scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a shoe, of a riddle arranged and movable in a vertical plane within the shoe, screws suitably journaled, collars mounted on said screws, and means whereby the travel of the collars induced by rotatable movement of the screws shall effect vertical movement of the riddle.

2. The combination with a shoe, of a riddle arranged and movable in a vertical plane within the shoe, screws suitably journaled, collars mounted on said screws, means whereby the travel of the collars induced by rotatable movement of the screws shall effect vertical movement of the riddle, and means for locking said screws against accidental rotation.

3. The combination with a shoe, of ariddle arranged and movable in a vertical plane within the shoe, inclined levers suitably supported and pivotally connected to the shoe, screws suitably arranged, collarsengaging the threaded portion of said screws, links pivotally connecting said collars with said levers, and means to rotate said screws.

4:. The combination with a shoe, of a riddle arranged and movable in a vertical plane within the shoe, inclined levers suitably sup ported and pivotally connected to the shoe, screws suitably arranged, collars engaging the threaded portion of said screws, a transverse shaft journaled in the shoe and geared to said screws, means to turn said shaft, and means to lock the shaft against rotation.

5. The combination with a shoe having substantially vertical slots in its side walls; a riddle within the shoe; a rod engaging the riddle about midway its length and also engaging said slots; a set of levers arranged for operation in a vertical plane, for each end of the riddle, suitably supported at one end and with their opposite ends having a pivoted pin-andslot connection with the riddle; and means for securing said levers at the desired point of adjustment.

6. The combination with a shoe having substantially vertical slots in its side walls; a riddle within the shoe; a rod engaging the riddle about midway its length and also engaging said slots; a set of levers arranged for operation in a vertical plane, for each end of the riddle, suitably supported at one end and with their opposite ends having a pivoted pin-and- In testimony whereof I efiix my signature in slot connection with the riddle, suitablyourthe presence of two wltnesses. naled screws supported from the shoe collars r i i engaging said screws, links pivotally connect- LERO1 VVLRTS 5 ing said collars with said levers, means for Witnesses:

turning said screws, and means for locking T. H. DUOKETT,

them against turning movement. 7 L. C. FAU'MON. 

